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  • Isaiah Joe offers minimal value in spot start
    Isaiah Joe played 21 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss to the Mavericks, accounting for six points (2-of-9 FGs), three rebounds, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: Thunder coach Mark Daigneault changed the starting lineup for Game 5, with Joe replacing the ineffective Josh Giddey. Joe picked up two quick fouls and could not offer much value in his 21 minutes on the court. While Giddey (11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer) shot 5-of-8 from the field, the minutes total (12) is a clear sign that he isn’t trusted in this series. The question ahead of Saturday’s Game 6 is whether or not Daigneault will stick with Joe as the fifth starter. And even if Giddey receives the nod, he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to be of value to DFS players. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:32 pm
     
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores team-high 30 points
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander logged 43 minutes in Wednesday’s 104-92 loss to the Mavericks, accounting for 30 points (12-of-22 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: Gilgeous-Alexander had another big scoring night, as he’s scored at least 29 points in all five games in this series. However, he didn’t have as much help as needed, with Chet Holmgren (13/4/1/0/1 with one 3-pointer) being the best of the rest. Dallas is making SGA work, but he continues to get his numbers. Whether or not the Thunder can force a Game 7 on Saturday night depends on whether SGA’s supporting cast increases its production. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:18 pm
     
  • Luka Doncic rebounds, posts 31/10/11/0/1 stat line
    Luka Doncic shot 12-of-22 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 104-92 win over the Thunder, accounting for 31 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, one blocked shot, and five 3-pointers in 41 minutes.

    Advice: Injuries have been an issue for Doncic throughout this series, but there was also the habit of focusing too much on the officials. Playing with an apparent laser focus, the Mavericks point guard came up huge in Dallas’ Game 5 victory. Doncic recorded an efficient triple-double, shooting better than 50% from the field and controlling the action. With Kyrie Irving (12/2/4/1 with two 3-pointers in 39 minutes) taking a back seat offensively, the Mavericks need Doncic to be at his best. That was the case on Wednesday, and Game 6 isn’t until Saturday in Dallas. Doncic will get a welcome respite before the Mavericks look to end the series at home. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:58 pm
     
  • Darius Garland struggles in season-ending defeat
    Darius Garland accounted for 11 points (4-of-17 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), nine assists, and two steals in 43 minutes in Wednesday’s 113-98 loss to the Celtics.

    Advice: Boston eliminated Cleveland in five games, an unsurprising outcome given the Cavaliers’ many injuries. What was incredibly disappointing about Game 5 was Garland’s performance. After scoring 30 points and dishing out seven assists in Game 4, he shot 4-of-17 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. As with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, injuries were a significant factor for Garland, as he was limited to 57 regular-season games. While his value in 8-cat formats wasn’t far from his Yahoo ADP (40.3), he failed to crack the top 100 in 9-cat. Selecting Garland within the top 50 of standard league drafts wouldn’t be a bad idea, but fantasy managers can’t be blamed if they decide to look elsewhere next fall. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:10 pm
     
  • Nears 20 points in Game 5 victory
    White closed with 18 points (7-17 FG, 4-9 3Pt), five rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 36 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: White had a strong outing from deep in Wednesday's series-clinching win, connecting on a quartet of threes to go along with a half-dozen assists, a handful of rebounds and a pair of blocks in a near 20-point showcase. White stepped up for Boston in the semifinals, tallying at least 18 points in two of the five contests. White could be a key factor once again for the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals as an additional option offensively behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:04 pm
     
  • Derrick White hits four triples, scores 18 points
    Derrick White shot 7-of-17 from the field in Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers, accounting for 18 points, five rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and four 3-pointers in 36 minutes.

    Advice: All five Celtics starters finished Game 5 in double figures, with White being one of three to score at least 18 points. And this was a much-needed performance, as he shot 8-of-30 from the field in Games 2 through 4. White helped make up for Jaylen Brown, who finished with just 11 points while accounting for four rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer. Brown took on more of a facilitator role, opening up scoring opportunities for his teammates. White having a better night in Game 5 should give him some positive momentum heading into the conference finals, with the Celtics set to host either New York or Indiana in Game 1 next week. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:33 pm
     
  • Good to go for Game 5
    Doncic (ankle/knee) is active and starting Wednesday's Game 5 against the Thunder.

    Advice: Doncic was initially labeled probable with lingering knee and ankle injuries, but, as expected, he will suit up for Wednesday's tilt. Considering he hasn't faced any restrictions since sustaining the injury, Doncic should see as many minutes as he can handle in the pivotal matchup. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:14 pm
     
  • Thunder starting SGA, Joe, Dort, JDub, Holmgren
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren will start Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Mavericks.

    Advice: Oklahoma City has changed its starting lineup, with Joe replacing the ineffective Josh Giddey. With the defensive-minded Dort on the court, playing two non-shooters together wasn’t working for the Thunder. Giddey has lost minutes to Joe, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins throughout the series. He might remain in the rotation, but it’s unlikely that Giddey will reach 15 minutes. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:09 pm
     
  • Making first playoff start
    Joe is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 against Dallas, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.

    Advice: Joe replaces Josh Giddey in the first unit, a relatively unsurprising move considering Joe has played more minutes than Giddey in three straight games. Despite his starting status, fantasy managers shouldn't expect the three-point specialist to see normal starter's minutes. Instead, he'll likely settle in at around the high teens or low twenties. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:06 pm